Author
Topic: Gnomenclature (Read 1689 times)

Zurn was glad that their new guest was relatively unharmed. Enough pain had been wrought by the foulness that filled this valley for too long. Worshippers of foul deity, no good things would have come the prisoners they had kept. The fact that this gnome was still alive could well have been testimony to the benevolence of the divinity that watched over him.

The halls were now finally clean of the wretched undead stragglers that remained around the shrine to Ehlonna that had now blessed the once defiled passages. Dannobar was now finally at rest and embraced in the arms of the forest mother. When the Garachi moved here, if they moved here, Zurn hoped that the shrine would be revered by them in some way.

Once the Garachi inhabited this place then the ancient temple to Moradin would be open and available. Restoring a temple to the Parton Father of Dwarves filled Zurn with sense of ancestral pride. Though he did not directly worship Moradin the deity was still close to him in other ways. He savored the thought of exploring the old temple. The wisdom that might be contained within those halls!

Now though he had immediate interest in other things- namely Faznar. He was interested in his story. As a survivor amidst the gargan he must indeed have a colorful tale to spin!

As the group set camp as they had so often done Zurn tended to the their wounds in turn. Currently it was Faznar’s time. He genuinely reveled in the healing aspect of his faith be it by hand or bandage. It also opened up the chance to get to know his party members just a little better.

“I dunna think’n we been introduced properly, eh? Although what’n be right and proper out here if’n this ain’t?” Zurn asked as he wrapped a cut on Faznar’s arm. “My name is Zurn. And who ye be an’ how in the old wise mountain did ye git yerself out’n here?”

Faznar shrugged his shoulders. “How do I get anywhere? Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I actually TRIED to get anywhere.” Faznar scrunched his face up in thought. “Hmm, well it was this ass, Urguth, who brought me here. I was, um … extracting myself from a situation in this dwarven town. This guy, the one guy in the place who seemed to have a sense of humor, showed me a secret way out of the town. I was pretty happy about the situation until he and his men started meeting up with gargan.” Faznar throws his hands up in the air. “Oh, they were trying to be all sly about it. Like I’m going to believe that they just happen to stumble on supplies every time we get close to gargan encampments. Obviously they were working with them. Anyway, after about an eternity of traveling through underground passages, they stuff a bag on my head and lead me out into this valley.” Faznar waves his hands about enthusiastically. “And it’s full of gargan! Gargan everywhere! You know who can’t take a joke? Dwarves. Dwarves can not take a joke. But gargan are even worse! You want to hear a good gargan joke?” Faznar didn’t wait for Zurn to answer. “Yeah, me too, but there aren’t any!”

Faznar composed himself. “Anyway, this Urguth guy turns out to be buddies with the guy in charge of this whole thing. They end up taking all the gargan soldiers back into the secret tunnels and here’s the funny part… Urguth says that The Master is leaving me in charge! So I go ordering these gargan around and guess what happens!” Again, Faznar does not wait for Zurn to answer. “Well, it turns out nobody told these gargan that I was left in charge. That prick Urguth pranked me! Can you believe it? What am I supposed to think about the guy now? First he helps me out of a pinch. Then he hangs with gargan. Then he pulls a great prank. I really want to hate the guy, but, I don’t know. He might be fun to hang around with.”

Faznar wiggled a finger and concentrated for half a beat. A fish appeared floating above Belwar. In place of the fish's head was the face of Urgath, beard and all. The Urgath-pike began to float in a circle around Belwar's head. It started to sing, "Rubies are red, Sapphires are blue. I smell like a fish, Belwar's mom does, too."

Zurn smiled at the cleverness of the gnomes imagery of Urguth’s head on a pike fish. Although the little limerick probably wasn’t the best thing to say given the sensitivity of Belwars feelings towards the traitorous dwarf that was likely responsible for his fathers death he thought. It occurred to Zurn that Belwar never mentioned his mother.

He tightened a wrap on Faznar’s arm enough to stop the bleeding but not enough to stop the blood from circulating. He made it a point to seal in his memory to get more bandages at the keep when they returned since they were getting low on their supply. “I dunna think it’s a sharp idea laddie to be jestin’ aboot Belwar’s folks when matters come to Urguth. At least not th’now.” Zurn advised. He didn’t want to come off as being overly uptight but if it saved the gnome a slug to the mouth and spared a bandage or two then it would be worth it. He just wasn’t sure of Belwars demeanor given all that had transpired.

Zurn, wanting to analyze this gnome since the last gnome they knew wasn’t trustworthy, continued, “So ye dunna be knowin’ much on how ye got here exactly. Where is it ye come from in origin?”

“Hmm,” thought Faznar aloud. “My folks moved around a lot when I was growing up. I still keep moving around a lot now that they are gone. Can’t really say I am from any one place… or headed to any place for that matter.” Faznar’s attention was still focussed on his illusion. A frying pan appeared under the Urguth-pike. “Ah! No!,” it cried as flames burst to life under the pan and the fish started to sizzle. “Must. Save. Myself.” The Urguth-pike flopped about, flipped through the air, and landed right in the fire. “Ahhhh! Damn it," the dwarf-fish screamed. "This is an even worse situation than I was previously in!” Faznar snickered and ended the illusion in a puff of smoke that smelled of fish soup. “Crap, now I could really go for a nice hot bowl of fish chowder!”

Zurn shook his head a humming chuckled at the gnomes continued prestidigitation. No doubt that fate was one of a long list of things that Belwar would find to be an agreeable end for Urguth. Zurn measured Faznar as being the sort that survived by guile rather than raw tenacity. Both means had merit but neither were absolutes for every situation. Given that, this gnome could well make a strategic, and humorous, addition to The Forest Keepers. Zurn cinched another bandage on the slightly built gnome.

“So what’s yer plan from here? Ye got anoothah place to be goin’?” Zurn cast a look back to Belwar. “Suren’ we ain’t gonna kill ya it seems ta me tha’ the safest way of goin’ anywhere is with us.”

“Oh, I’ve always got some place to be going” replied Faznar, “and usually in haste and under pursuit!” Faznar laughed at himself. “Yeah, I think traveling with you folk is the best of my rather limited options. If you’ll have me, that is. Many folk won’t. Or won’t for long.” He turned to Belwar and flashed a meek smile. “I’ve found my sense of humor clashes with that of most dwarves. Well, honestly, with all dwarves that I have ever encountered … eventually.” He sighed a sad little sigh before continuing, “I am, however, an absolute riot amongst other gnomes and also children of most every race!” Faznar’s eyes absolutely twinkled with joy when he spoke of children, an effect that Zurn thought must have been magically enhanced.

“I have other talents, too. Aside from the obvious magical talents, that is. I happen to be an excellent cook. Also, I am a master at the gnomish squeezebox!” Faznar moved his empty hands back and forth while wiggling his fingers. The not-so-subtle sound of gnomish polka music drifted softly through the air as his hands imitated the motions of playing the unusual instrument. “It’s been a while since I have actually played, though. My squeezeboxes tend to get smashed to bits.”

“Ye bein’ a gnome mage of sorts yer lucky we dunna jus’ be separating yer head from yer neck truth be told…ne’ermind yer sqeakbox. The last gnome finger wiggler we had company with was a traitorous pain in the rump. Went by the name Melzak. Tha’ dunna ring any bells does it? Not seen him for a spell o’ time.”

Zurn had asked in a long shot that Faznar might know their old enemy. It’d been a while since he’d been seen and Zurn didn’t trust that he wouldn’t be seen again. Especially since Melzak and Dannobar knew each other and Dannobar had links to the gargan in this valley.

“Melzak!” Faznar jumped to his feet in anger. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve been mistaken for that … that … spriggan fellator?” Faznar angrily kicked at the dirt. “Got me run out of a fair number of places and nearly got me killed here. That Master guy is not a fan of Melzak. Pretty sure he was working for the Master and messed up really, really bad.” Faznar gave Zurn a smirk. “I don’t think either of us will have to worry about Melzak for long.”

Faznar huffed and looked a bit embarrassed. “Um, sorry about the language.”

*(Ref. Session 12- Death to Dannobar) Book in what we can assume to be Melzak’s Room. *(Ref. Session 19- Beloved) We’re told it was a book on human anatomy that was incomplete.OOC: What ever happened to the book?

* * *

“We wouldn’t have to be worry’n if’n we be knowin’ where he went off to.” Zurn replied. “Las’ we saw his sorry hide he wus asking fer a book* that we lifted from his place in tha’ caves…jus’ before we brought Dannobar ta’ peace.”

Zurn did not expect to be saddened so suddenly to mention the once wayward Dannobar. Though the priest had lost faith in Ehlonna she had not lost faith in him. To Zurn’s mind it was a story folks often hear about but until one witnessed such divine grace it was impossible to measure the lasting impact of forgiveness such as that. Ultimately it was Ehlonna’s mercy that lead to Dannobar’s redemption and that, in Zurn’s thinking, was the splendor of his matron deity.

Belwar bobbed his head. "Yah, I'm thinkin it probably was. You'll recall, when last we met, he tried simply asking peacefully for it's return. Those were the actions of someone out of options."

Belwar turned to Faznar, "Lewk, Ah thenk we maybe workin toward different goals, but our paths be the same. Iff'n I had me druthers, both Melzak and Urguth would be in the fryin pan together. If yer of a mind, I thenk we could use the help and the humorous distraction."

He turned to the rest of the group. "Ah thenk it's for the best that I tell ye all a little bit about why I came to tha keep in the first place. It's a bit of a story, but the short of it is, I'm wanted fer killin me father and tha son of a council membar, both crimes are Urguth's doin. And, I believe he stole a Great Axe I'd made for me father."